The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-12
OUR COUNTRY ROADS.


ain time of peace prepare TOR war is an
old maxim that may be made applicable
In more ways than one; II may apply to
| individuals as we'll as nations; 20 things as
we'll as to persons.
A wise and prosperous nation, surround,
as she generally is by belligerent neigh.
bors, locks well to her army and navy in
times of peace, lest her ports should be
blockaded unawares, and she should De
com passed about and hemmed In on every
side by her crafty and invincible enemy.
And by like application OF this trite
saying, the farmer, together with all those
interested In his prosperity-and all arr to
great extent-should look we'll to his
common thoroughfares and public high,
ways at the time when they are in good
condition, when ths going Is easy and
travelling is pleasant. not wait until the
mud blockade" begins, when he shall be
cut off from all intercourse with his nearest
neighbor and debarred every access to his
nearest market. Such, We all know, Will
be the inevitable fate of those living on
certain lines of road, who have neglected to
put them in order at the proper time and
in the proper manner.
The farmers Of this county have no
cause of complaint now about the state of
their mud roads During the past fall and
so far during the present winter, they have
been In excellent condition. They never
have been better, but it is not to be sup
posed that such condition of things will
last much longer. When spring opens
and the frost is out of the ground and the
rains fall, our annual mud blockade" will
begin And 1t seems to me that now is the
time tor farmers to meet to disuss the
practicability of preventing, In the future,
the recurrence of these socalled annual
blockades.
1t is not my intention, however, just now
to begin this discussion, or to write an
essay on roadmaking generally, for any
body can do that; or to intlict disserta-
ton upon your readers on the advantages
of good roads and the pleasure of travelling
over them; or to offer suggestions for the
consideration of our wise Legislators, how
best to enact laws for their better improve
ment and to give power to boards of super
visors and commissioners of highways to
levy taxes for the construction of certain
leading market roads, situated within their
respective and adjoining counties and dis
tricts.
do not propose to do anything of the
kind, but simply to call the attention of
those interested In a certain road that was
well begun a few years ago, happily con
tined the next and may never be ended
unless some effort is made by those par.
tlcularly Interested in its completion.
speak of the socalled Ottawa and
Vermillion Road" and | address myself
especially to our worthy commissioners,
who devoted their time and their energies,
without charge and the satisfaction of all,
TO the completion of the work as far as 1t
extended and as long as there we're funds
In the treasury to work upon. l address
myself to them In hopes that they may see
fit to call meeting of their board (for
they have never been discharged and Of
the late subscribers to consider the posi-
bility of finishing the same to the point
originally contemplated. My heart has
been fixed upon his particular road for
many years past, ana 1t may be thought by
some, especially those interested in the
proceedings of the Illinois State High
way Commissioners and Tiiemakers' Asso-
ciation"-of which shall speak In another
srticle-I am contracted In my views of
road making; that l am not sufficiently
cosmopolitan, that l do not take in the
whole state or even the whole county, but
confine myself to petty road In my own